Air cleaner



Aug. 25, 1931. R. F. GORDON ET AL 1 1,320,795

AIR CLEANER Filed Dec. 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W1 7 4 11 a 10 2 a l 22.1?" Gordon, I i w %VENTOR ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1931. R. F. GORDON ET AL 1,820,795

AIR CLEANER Filed Dec. 13, 1929 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 $0760, J16: gwa'lifiej,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 25, 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE,

BAY F. GORDON AND JAMES S. GWALTNEY, OF SUFFOLK, VIRGINIA AIR CLEANER Application filed December 13, 1929. Serial No. 413,892.

This invention relates to attachments for internal combustion engines and has for an object the provision of a device which will clean the I air before it enters the engine carbureter, and at the same time will pre vent dangerous gas fumes from accumulating in the bottom of the automobile. In addition it will relieve the engine crank case of undue pressure, and will utilize heated 1 crank case vapor to improve the fuel mixture and increase the fuel mileage.

As is well known, when an engine is operated for a protracted period, oil and gasoline vapors accumulate in the engine crank case, and these vapors sometimes accumulate in the automobile hood and pass into the body so that the occupants are subjected to the inconvenience and danger of these fumes.

In addition, these vapors,-by their accumulation in the engine crank case cause an accumulation of pressure and consequent leakage of oil where gaskets are not in perfect condition.

The present invention overcomes the above g5 and many other disadvantages, and provides in addition, many advantageous features which increase the safety and efficiency of an engine as well as reduce the cost of operation, and therefore materially add to the comfort of the occupants of an automobile. With the above and other objects in view, the invention further includes the following novel features and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of an automobile with its engine and the invention applied.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the suction valve. 1

Figures 3 and 4 are sections taken substantiall onthe line 3-3 and 4-4 respectively o Figure-2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section through the air cleaner.

Figures 6 and 7 are sectional views taken respectively on the lines 6-6 and 77 of Figure 5. l

Referring to the drawings in detail whereinlike characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the reference character 10 indicates the dash of an automobile, 11 a portion of an internal combustion engine, 5 12 the engine carbureter which has connection with the usual intake manifold for supplying fuel to the engine cylinders in the ordinary manner. The engine shown is of the poppet valve type, the valve cover plates being indicated at 13. These plates form the outer wall of a chamber through which the valve stems pass in the ordinary manner, Jand this chamber is in communication with the crank case 14 of the engine as is 5 well known. All of the foregoing is of the usual or any preferred type of poppet valve engine structure.

The reference character 15 indicates an air cleaner and one end of this air cleaner is in communication with the air intake of the carbureter 12 by means of a pipe 16. The opposite end of the air cleaner 15 has extending therefrom 'a nipple or elbow 17 through which air enters the cleaner as 7 shown in Figure 5 of the drawings.

The cleaner may be of any suitable construction, the one shown being barrelshaped and provided with a plurality of curved bafiles 18, so that air entering the cleaner through the nipple 17 must pass around these baffles in order to escape through the pipe 16 to the carbureter. During the passage of the air through the cleaner, dust, dirt, and other extraneous matter will adhere to the baflies and thus be prevented from entering the carbureter, so that air passing into the carbureter for mixture with the liquid fuel will be free of all matter which might prove injurious to the type and is normally engaged with the seat 24 by means of a spring 25 and is opened by suction from the engine. The valve casing 22 is closed at opposite ends by means of threaded plugs 26 and the stem 27 of the valve operates within a guide 28 having openings 29 for the passage of air.

Normally, the valve 23 is closed. Suction provided by the operation of the engine, will open the valve and draw air into the carbureter through the register 20, the valve casing 22," the pipe 19 and the air cleaner 15, so that the air will be cleaned before it enters the carbureter. In the event of .back pressure caused by back firing through the carbureter, the valve. 23 will be immediately seated so as to prevent this back pressure air entering the body of the automobile. -A' pressure relief valve 30 is provided in the bottom of the air cleaner 15. This valve is normally spring closed and back pressure through the cleaner will open this valve 30 so as to permit of the escape of this pressure.

By drawing the air from the interior of the automobile, danger of accumulation of noxious fumes withln the automobile will be avoided, any fumes passing from beneath the hood of the automobile into the body will be quickly drawn outward through the register 20.

The air cleaner 15 is also in ommunica tion with the crank case 14 of the engine through the valve chamber mentioned. For

this purpose, a pipe 31 which is attached to the cleaner and to the valve plate 13 isprovided. Pressure accumulating within the crank case will cause the heated oil and gasoline vapors to enter the air cleaner through the pipe 31 and passinto the carbureter through the pipe 16.

These otherwise wasted vapors will be added to the fuel mixture and will increase the efficiency of the mixture and the operation of the engine, as well as increase the fuel mileage. In addition, this manner of.

disposin of the crank case vapor will prevent un ue accumulation of this vapor within the crank case and its escape into the hood, so that passage-of the vapor into the interior of the automobile will be prevented .or materially reduced.

When the engine is I running withthe throttle retarded or in idling position, the suction is through the pipe 31 from the crank case only, the spring 25 being of sufficient strength to maintain the valve 23 seated.- This acts to clear the crank case of the engine of all gases and fumes, which might otherwise enter the automobile. When the throttle is opened partially, the suction is increased, so that the valve 23 will be opened and suction will be through the pipe 19 in addition to the pipe31, so that there can be no collection of gases withm the body of the automobile. One group of downwardly toward the bottom of the casing by the uppermost baflies of each oup.

Should the engine backfire and cause a back pressure in the casing 15, the valve 22 closes and the pressure unseats the door 30 and escapes to the atmosphere. The door 30 may be also manually opened to permit foreign matter accumulated within the bottom of the casing 15 to be removed.

While the invention is shown and described in conne'ction'with an automobile engine, obviously, it maybe used with airplanes, boats and other engine driven vehicles.

Theinvention ,.is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended c1aim..

Having described the invention what is claimed is An air cleaner comprising a c having avpair of inlets and an outlet located in one end thereof and connected to a carburetor, one of said inlets located in the other end of the casing and the other inlet located in the sidewall of said casing and in communication with the crank case of an engine, a self closing valve connected to the other inlet located at one end of the and in communication'with the interior- 0% an automobile body and opened by the suction of the enginev and adapted to prevent back pressure from escaping into the body' of the automobile when the engine back-fires,

groups of arcuately curved baflles in the I casing and one group interoe the in comin air from the automobil d odyand directing the said air toward the bottom of the casing and the other group directing :iirfrom the bottom of the casing toward the i outlet, the air and fumesentering the casing from the crank casing of the engine being directed toward the bottom wall of the casing by the upper baflie of each group, said casing having an entrance in the bottom wall thereof with the inner ends of the baflles disposed thereover, and a self closing and outwardly swinging door for said opening and adapted to-open under back pressure in the casing 'and to be opened manually for removing foreign substances clo god in the casing and adhering to the bafli es.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

RAY F. GORDON. JAMES S. GWALTNEY. 

